Sean Kingston and His Mother Accused of Committing $1 Million Worth of Fraud and Theft
Sean Kingston and his mother are facing allegations of committing fraud and theft, amounting to approximately $1 million.
Sean Kingston, Mother Accused of Committing Fraud and Theft
According to a WSVN 7 News report, published on Friday (May 24), Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, are accused of committing over $1 million in fraud and theft, including stealing money, jewelry, furniture and a Cadillac Escalade vehicle.
In Broward County Sheriff's jail documents obtained by XXL, Kingston's 61-year-old mother was hit with a slew of charges, including organized to scheme to defraud, grand theft, cashing bad checks and identity theft. She's currently being held at the Broward County Jail on $160,000 bond. Kingston is facing the same charges as well.
On Thursday (May 23), Turner was arrested following a SWAT team raid of the singer's rented mansion in suburban Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Turner was taken into custody during the raid. Meanwhile, Kingston was arrested at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in the Mojave Desert of California, after performing his show.
According to WSVN 7 News, the arrest warrants alleged that the pair stole nearly $500,000 worth of jewelry between October and March. Additionally, they are accused of stealing over $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a Cadillac Escalade car dealership, more than $100,000 from First Republic Bank, stealing $86,000 from a custom bed manufacturer, as well as fraudulent use of another person's identity.
"He [Sean Kingston] lures people using his celebrity into having them release things without him paying for it and he simply never pays," a deputy told the news channel.
Read More: See 25 Longest-Charting Hip-Hop Albums in Billboard 200 History
Sean Kingston Behind Bars, Awaiting Extradition
Sean Kingston, born Kisean Paul Anderson, is currently detained at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto, California. Jail inmate records indicate that the singer has been classified as a fugitive. The "Beautiful Girls" singer is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday (May 28). It's expected that Kingston will face extradition proceedings to Florida.
On Friday, Robert Rosenblatt, the attorney representing the Jamaican-American performer and his mother, told WSVN 7 News that his client is prepared to face the allegations.
"We look forward to addressing these (charges) in court and are confident of a successful resolution for [Sean] and his mother," Rosenblatt said.
Outside of their arrests, Kingston and his mother have also been sued.
In 2015, a watch seller in New York City successfully took legal action against Kingston and his mother in federal court, seeking $356,000 in damages due to non-payment. Then In 2018, a New York jeweler successfully sued the pair for $301,000 after they scammed the store out of nine items.
Most recently, a Florida entertainment systems company took legal action against Kingston in February of 2024, claiming that he had not paid $120,000 of a $150,000 invoice for a massive 232-inch television installed in his home. The colossal TV, which measures approximately 17 feet by 9.5 feet, occupies an entire wall.
According to the lawsuit, Kingston allegedly promised the owners that he and Bieber would make commercials for them if they agreed to a low down payment and credit. However, neither the commercials nor the payment ever materialized. The company's attorney stated that Bieber had no involvement in the deal and Kingston was falsely using his name.
XXL has reached out to Sean Kingston's attorney for comment.
Read More: 24 of Justin Bieber's Best Hip-Hop Collaborations Over the Years
Watch WABC-7 news report on the arrests of Sean Kingston and his mother and the charges they are facing below.